Retaliation: U.S. will aid Taliban opposition

SUMMARY:

The Bush administration will offer aid to opponents of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, but won't try to choose who rules the country, according to a White House memo. Meanwhile, the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, told an Iranian newspaper that he does not expect the United States to attack Afghanistan and dismissed the idea of reinstating the deposed Afghan king.

UPDATE:

The Pentagon and the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan are denying a report by Arabic language Al-Jazeera TV that three American commandos and two Afghans assisting them were captured in Afghanistan on a special operations force reconnaissance mission. A Pentagon official said there is no evidence that lends credence to the Arab television report and is convinced there's nothing to the report. The Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kandahar said it has no knowledge of any arrests. (Full story)

The Bush administration will offer aid to opponents of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, but won't try to choose who rules the country, according to a White House memo, CNN confirmed Saturday. The document was prepared by key officials of the National Security Council and the State Department. (Full story)

The Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, told an Iranian newspaper that he does not expect the United States to attack Afghanistan and dismissed the idea of reinstating the deposed Afghan king. Omar gave a rare interview to Entekhab, a Iranian daily newspaper. The interview transcript was also published Saturday in Iran News, a Tehran-based English language newspaper. (Full story)

U.S. and British special forces have conducted operations in Afghanistan and the Central Asian region, a senior U.S. official told CNN on Friday. A senior U.S. official told CNN that the operations took place "in the region" and "in country," meaning Afghanistan. A senior member of Congress, who has been briefed on the operations, confirmed to CNN that special forces have been sent "in and out" of Afghanistan for the purpose of reconnaissance. (Full story)

Mullah Mohammed Omar: The Muslim cleric who leads Afghanistan's ruling Taliban. Taliban officials say they have played host to bin Laden but do not allow him to engage in terrorist activities. Click here for more.

Northern Alliance: A group of former mujahedeen fighters, mainly from minority ethnic groups, that oppose the Taliban. The group controls about five percent of northern Afghanistan. Click here for more

IMPACT:

The attacks on the nation's landmarks of power and security signal the start of a protracted battle on terrorism that could permanently alter core U.S. military and diplomatic strategies.